Production company B-Reel has created a community-based book-sharing scheme to promote the film version of The Book Thief, which is out next year. The campaign is based around the ideas of the Little Free Library organisation, who the studio behind the film – Twentieth-Century Fox – has an ongoing relationship with.

You can see the project in action in the video above.

Little Free Library is a worldwide organisation that promotes intra-community book sharing with the idea that anyone can “take a book, return a book”. Little Free Libraries are essentially mini book cabinets that people can buy or make and place in their front yard with books, promoting sharing between neighbours.

B-Reel set up two Little Free Libraries in New York and Los Angeles decorated with scenes inspired by the film. Both libraries also included the window that Liesel, the story’s main character, uses to sneak into the library and steal books. Additionally, a small screen on the side of each library was set up showing the film’s trailer.

By engaging the audience through storytelling, technology and entertainment, B-Reel has created a campaign that not only promotes the film – but has also stimulated community efforts to encourage reading and sharing within young people. A company spokesperson also describes how much effort B-Reel put into the project for how much it was paid for it as making it “closer to a pro-bono project then a fully-funded one. Everyone worked at reduced costs to get this out the door.”

B-reel has previously directed promotional campaigns for companies such as H&M and Airbnb.